ORANGE, Calif., Dec. 12, 2016. The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS) is proud to be working with its latest Certified Academic Partner—Lackawanna College of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Lackawanna College’s medical scribe curriculum has been approved by the ACMSS board.

“Our Certified Academic Partnership is evolving in order to simplify the process for academic institutions to get their scribes certified, and provide greater value for their students,” says Kristin Hagen, Executive Director of ACMSS.

Lackawanna College is a private, open enrollment college in Scranton, PA., with satellite centers throughout northeastern Pennsylvania. Lackawanna College has traditionally offered associate degree programs and conducted intensive continuing education programs. The college recently expanded its offerings to the bachelor’s degree level, and is also expanding its professional courses. Lackawanna County has a population of about 200,000 and the workforce there is skewed heavily to the “silver tsunami” of over-55 workers. The area has three hospitals and a medical college, making it a healthcare hub of sorts.

Lackawanna has partnered with ACMSS and is guided by the latest Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) standards for Certified Medical Scribe Specialists (CMSS). CAAHEP is the premiere “gold” standard for leading academic allied health education professions through third-party programmatic accreditation. ACMSS offers the Certified Academic Partnership to those institutions whose medical scribe curriculum content conforms to standards approved by the board of ACMSS. Through this CAAHEP-accredited pathway, prospective students can be trained, based on the accredited institution’s standards implementation, through a range of potential onsite or remote offerings, from certificate programs to hybrid degree innovations.

For a full story on the ACMSS partnership with Lackawanna College, click here (https://theacmss.org/lackawanna-cap/).

Please contact ACMSS directly at info@theacmss.org or 657-888-2158 if you have any questions regarding the ACMSS program and/or materials.

About ACMSS:

The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS) is the nation’s only nonprofit professional society representing more than 18,000 Medical Scribes in over 1,800 medical institutions. ACMSS partners with academic institutions, non-profit partners, and medical scribe corporations to offer both education-to-certification and employment-to-certification pathways. ACMSS advances the needs of the medical scribe industry through certification, public advocacy, secure innovative systems design, individualized and customized consulting, and continuing education for improved care coordination and patient-centric care toward wellness. ACMSS is available for public speaking engagements and customized consulting serving healthcare.

ORANGE, Calif., Nov. 30, 2016. The transition to the new presidential administration is creating much speculation over what changes the healthcare may soon see, especially with regard to the Affordable Care Act and Medicare. At the American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS) we are focused on the most immediate needs of physicians and their practices, and what has not changed is that the reporting and payment adjustment provisions of Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act Quality Payment Program (MACRA QPP) will go into full implementation on January 1, 2017.

“America has two systems designs building on each other—our evolving public healthcare system, and precision medicine, which are both valid and complementary,” says ACMSS Executive Director Kristin Hagen. “ACMSS understands MACRA, given the expertise and understanding coming through the two systems in respect of the patient, client, and healthcare practitioner viewpoints.”

Because of the widespread and increasingly required use of electronic health records, Certified Medical Scribe Specialists (CMSS) are becoming more vital to the healthcare industry throughout the nation, and will play a key role in the MACRA QPP. Certified Medical Scribe Specialists, with their expanded credential, are helping clinicians stay focused on providing quality patient care, while relieving them from the burden of charting patient encounters that require ever more detailed documentation.

In the big picture of the American healthcare system, these scribes are helping to streamline practices, bring down healthcare costs, improve patient care, and ease some of the frustrations that are causing physicians to leave the profession. An increasing body of research is showing that the use of Certified Medical Scribe Specialists is resulting in improved physician/licensed independent practitioner productivity, cost and time savings, and better patient satisfaction and patient safety, especially when the physician/practitioner is not electronically savvy, and data entry causes fatigue and dissatisfaction.

The use of Certified Medical Scribe Specialists is also helping physicians focus on wellness, preventive care and precision medicine. Executive Director Hagen is a career clinical informatics professional and healthcare provider who suffered debilitating injuries at age 19 and endured multiple surgeries as a result of an “original” high-powered first-generation airbag accident (1994), and then again a few years later from an accident involving a redesigned second-generation airbag. She lived with the debilitating injuries for nearly two decades before proposed changes to our healthcare system, and her pioneering endeavors working with her physician, opened the way for her to get better.

“It took more than 19 years of my own research and then several years of ongoing work with my healthcare physician to create a wellness plan to bring me back to full recovery, thus utilizing precision medicine,” Hagen said. “Until recently, our health system has been concentrated on a very narrow view of health that focused on reacting to disease, injury and illness, rather than making people well and keeping them that way. That is changing—preventive wellness is America’s future.”

Hagen said that ACMSS will be reaching out aggressively to the new presidential administration over the coming months to emphasize the job creation, cost-saving and healthcare quality improvement implications of the rapidly growing certified medical scribe profession. At the same time, ACMSS will be actively helping its partners prepare for full MACRA implementation on January 1.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) acknowledges appropriately credentialed Certified Medical Scribe Specialists in any specialty discipline meeting its standards and regulations. If not the licensed clinicians themselves, personnel must attest for Meaningful Use (now under MACRA’s Advancing Care Information category) and be certified. Certification is available through the CMS-approved Certified Medical Scribe Specialist credential, successfully attesting for Meaningful Use. ACMSS offers several pathways for this certification.

The expanded CMSS credential is allowing certified scribes to go far beyond their traditional documentation roles. At the same time, national curriculum standards for medical scribes are being broadened. The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Medical Scribe Specialist Education Review Board (MSSRB) recently released revised standards that reflect the growing roles scribes are taking in practices across the country.

For the complete story on “Standardizing Physician-CMSS Teams to Wellness,” click here (https://theacmss.org/physician-cmss-to-wellness/).

ACMSS offers several pathways for Certified Medical Scribe Specialists. Please contact ACMSS Executive Director Kristin Hagen directly at info@theacmss.org or 657-888-2158 if you have any questions regarding the ACMSS program and/or materials.

ORANGE, Calif., November 30, 2016. With just over 30 days left in the year, the American College of Medical Scribe Specialists is reminding eligible clinicians that time is running out in 2016 to attest for meaningful use to avoid payment reductions. Those not in compliance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) meaningful use guidelines may receive payment reductions at 2% for performance year 2016.

Under the proposed rule for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and its Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), eligible providers are required to attest for meaningful use one 90-day period during calendar year 2016.

ACMSS can help eligible clinicians meet CMS requirements by providing its Physician/Practice pathway, which allows practices to self-certify their staffs, attesting to meaningful use. The Individual Pathway also allows professionals who work in clinical settings and medical scribes to attest and become certified. Under CMS guidelines for meaningful use, those providing medical scribe services must be credentialed and certified.

“ACMSS programs are designed to streamline the process for certifying medical scribes, making it easier for providers to get their scribes certified, and providing greater value for their employees,” says ACMSS Executive Director Kristin Hagen.

The following are three ACMSS certification pathways that are particularly beneficial to providers/practices, organizations that train medical scribes, and individuals:

Physician/Practice Pathway: Physicians and practices may self-certify their staffs. ACMSS provides specialty certifications to all in General certifications, in addition to presenting specialty certifications in vascular medicine, dermatology, primary care, internal medicine and emergency medicine. ACMSS serves as a resource to physicians/mid-levels, through enablement of fully credentialed professionals, adhering to federal regulations and guidance. Clinicians and practices are enabled through eligible staff and purchasing minimum Volume Certification Packages.

CMSS-Direct Certified Clinical Corporate Partners: Through our new Clinical Corporate Partner Program, eligible outpatient corporations may qualify to become clinical attested corporate partners. The annual corporate membership allows clinical corporate partners to directly attest eligible scribes through CMSS 1-Step affidavit, enabling a direct qualifier to certify scribes via the Medical Scribe Certification & Aptitude Test (MSCAT), bypassing requisite 2-step “CMSA” 200 hours. Standardized volume bundles institute innovative practice procedures and provide minimum standardized educational materials for each. To become a corporate partner and participate in the this pathway, a company must attest in an affidavit that its education programs meet all of the core objectives and curriculum content requirements, and submit the curriculum to the ACMSS board for approval.

Individual Pathway: Those who work in clinical settings as medical scribes may sign an affidavit attesting that they have completed a minimum of 200 hours of unassisted clinician workload documentation, and then complete the Medical Scribe Certification Aptitude Test (MSCAT) administered through ACMSS. Certified Medical Assistants, Registered Medical Assistants, Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Paramedics already with clinical hours, certified or licensed, may sit for the MSCAT with 50 hours unassisted physician-clinician documentation.

Along with the Physician/Practice Corporate Partner and Individual Pathways, ACMSS also provides certification pathways for academic institutions and scribe training companies, and a Retooling Pathway for individuals who need to advance their clinical skill sets.

The ACMSS certification program meets current and proposed CMS certification requirements toward meaningful use of electronic health records. ACMSS works in compliance with CMS to meet national goals and initiatives of meaningful use (MIPS and Alternative Payment Models). Certified medical scribes also meet the “qualified people” standard in Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT).

All personnel certifying with ACMSS need to purchase a minimum Standardized Volume Scribe Certification Package, preparing both the individual and the practice for real-time resource and assistance, ongoing and into the future. Bundles include: Annual Membership, MSCAT Training/Resource Manual, HIPAA for Scribes Training/Operational video/certificate, and Medical Scribe Certification & Aptitude Test (MSCAT) Certification. Upon successful pass, each certified scribe is given a certificate and eligible credential, in which Practice Administrators/Clinicians retain for Meaningful Use attestations and customize and innovate workflow.

“The benefits of employing Certified Medical Scribe Specialists go far beyond meeting CMS guidelines and avoiding penalties,” says Hagen. “Certified scribes have been shown to help alleviate some of the current dissatisfaction and frustration among providers over EHR technology. They also assist practices and clinicians in real time, onsite, at the point of care, facilitating innovative workflow and efficiencies, and providing necessary tools and resources for beginning new revolutions in redefining healthcare together and creating patient-centric care.”

Please contact ACMSS directly at 657-888-2158, or info@theacmss.org to learn more about the benefits of the CMSS credential, or if you have questions regarding the ACMSS program and/or materials. Also, please visit our website at theacmss.org.

About ACMSS

The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS) is the nation’s only nonprofit professional society representing more than 18,000 Medical Scribes in over 1,800 medical institutions. ACMSS partners with academic institutions, non-profit partners, and medical scribe corporations to offer both education-to-certification and employment-to-certification pathways. ACMSS advances the needs of the medical scribe industry through certification, public advocacy, secure innovative systems design, individualized and customized consulting, and continuing education for improved care coordination and patient-centric care toward wellness. ACMSS is available for public speaking engagements serving healthcare.

ACMSS Helps with Implementation of MACRA’s Quality Payment Program

ORANGE, Calif., November 23, 2016. On October 14, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released the final version of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) Quality Payment Program (QPP), which is intended to streamline the Medicare system and reward physicians for quality patient care. It is assumed that MACRA will eventually also be accepted as a performance and payment-for-performance guideline for some others payers as well. This article explains some of the main points of the QPP.

“The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS) supports the move toward new payment schemes that we believe can help lead a revolution toward higher-quality and value-based care, and away from our former fee-for-service model, which incentivized higher volume of care and often resulted in increased low-quality and unnecessary care,” says ACMSS Executive Director Kristin Hagen. “Since the final QPP was released, we at ACMSS have been studying the nearly 2,400-page document, and we are helping eligible clinicians get ready for full implementation at the beginning of the year.”

Getting You Ready to Report

The first performance period begins Jan. 1, 2017 and closes Dec. 31, 2017. To avoid penalties, eligible clinicians should plan to report some data in 2017. The program consists of four options, and it is possible to earn a small bonus for submitting complete data for 90 days or more, or a moderate bonus for submitting complete data for all of 2017.

During 2017, eligible clinicians who choose to participate in the QPP should record quality data and how they used technology to support their practice. To potentially earn a positive payment adjustment beginning on Jan. 1, 2019 under the Merit-based Incentive Program (MIPS), they must send in data to MIPS about the care they provided and how their practices used technology in 2017 by the deadline of March 31, 2018. Those who are using an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) will report through that model by the same date and may earn a 5% incentive payment in 2019.

Eligible clinicians who don’t send in any 2017 data will receive a negative 4% payment adjustment. Those who submit a minimum amount of 2017 data to Medicare can avoid a negative payment adjustment. Those who submit at least 90 days of 2017 data to Medicare may earn a neutral or small positive payment adjustment. If eligible clinicians send a full year of 2017 data to Medicare, they may earn a moderate positive payment adjustment. To be able to earn the 5% incentive payment for participating in an Advanced APM, eligible clinicians send quality data through the Advanced APM. If you participate in an Advanced APM in 2017, then you may earn a 5% incentive payment in 2019.

Reporting for MIPS

In 2017, eligible clinicians must report in the following three categories:

· Quality (60%)

· Advancing Care Information (25%)

· Clinical Improvement Activities (15%)

The fourth category—Cost—is not assessed in 2017

“Improving the use of healthcare technology and streamlining practices while meeting regulatory requirements is an ongoing proposition,” says Hagen. “ACMSS offers a full suite of custom consulting services, medical scribe certification programs and corporate partnerships to help practices drive innovation on the people side of improvement in healthcare quality and patient safety.”

Consulting services that ACMSS provides, and the associated categories they can help practices with, include:

The ACMSS certification program meets current and proposed CMS certification requirements toward use of electronic health records. ACMSS is independent from all scribe companies and organizations and works in compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to meet national goals and initiatives of MIPS, MACRA, and Meaningful Use of computerized provider order entry. Certified medical scribes also meet the “qualified people” standard in Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT).

“ACMSS is closely watching the progress of MACRA and we are excited for our future,” said Hagen. “ACMSS understands MACRA given the expertise and understanding coming through the two systems (public health/precision medicine) in respect of the patient, client, and healthcare practitioner viewpoints. ACMSS simplifies into secure systems design, the complete library of resources that is available through secure online access per paid membership. We believe eligible providers should move beyond the minimums for avoiding payment reductions. In doing so, they need to connect with ACMSS, plan strategically for how they are going to advance the regulations and national goals intended to provide better care and greater value for our nation’s patients.”

The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists offers several pathways for Certified Medical Scribe Specialists and a growing list of customized, one-on-one consulting solutions. Please contact ACMSS directly at info@theacmss.org or 657-888-2158 if you have any questions regarding the ACMSS program and consulting services.

For more details on the Quality Payment Program, click here (https://qpp.cms.gov).

ACMSS Helps with Implementation of MACRA’s Quality Payment Program

ORANGE, Calif., November 23, 2016. On October 14, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released the final version of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) Quality Payment Program (QPP), which is intended to streamline the Medicare system and reward physicians for quality patient care. It is assumed that MACRA will eventually also be accepted as a performance and payment-for-performance guideline for some others payers as well. This article explains some of the main points of the QPP.

“The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS) supports the move toward new payment schemes that we believe can help lead a revolution toward higher-quality and value-based care, and away from our former fee-for-service model, which incentivized higher volume of care and often resulted in increased low-quality and unnecessary care,” says ACMSS Executive Director Kristin Hagen. “Since the final QPP was released, we at ACMSS have been studying the nearly 2,400-page document, and we are helping eligible clinicians get ready for full implementation at the beginning of the year.”

Getting You Ready to Report

The first performance period begins Jan. 1, 2017 and closes Dec. 31, 2017. To avoid penalties, eligible clinicians should plan to report some data in 2017. The program consists of four options, and it is possible to earn a small bonus for submitting complete data for 90 days or more, or a moderate bonus for submitting complete data for all of 2017.

During 2017, eligible clinicians who choose to participate in the QPP should record quality data and how they used technology to support their practice. To potentially earn a positive payment adjustment beginning on Jan. 1, 2019 under the Merit-based Incentive Program (MIPS), they must send in data to MIPS about the care they provided and how their practices used technology in 2017 by the deadline of March 31, 2018. Those who are using an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) will report through that model by the same date and may earn a 5% incentive payment in 2019.

Eligible clinicians who don’t send in any 2017 data will receive a negative 4% payment adjustment. Those who submit a minimum amount of 2017 data to Medicare can avoid a negative payment adjustment. Those who submit at least 90 days of 2017 data to Medicare may earn a neutral or small positive payment adjustment. If eligible clinicians send a full year of 2017 data to Medicare, they may earn a moderate positive payment adjustment. To be able to earn the 5% incentive payment for participating in an Advanced APM, eligible clinicians send quality data through the Advanced APM. If you participate in an Advanced APM in 2017, then you may earn a 5% incentive payment in 2019.

Reporting for MIPS

In 2017, eligible clinicians must report in the following three categories:

· Quality (60%)

· Advancing Care Information (25%)

· Clinical Improvement Activities (15%)

The fourth category—Cost—is not assessed in 2017

“Improving the use of healthcare technology and streamlining practices while meeting regulatory requirements is an ongoing proposition,” says Hagen. “ACMSS offers a full suite of custom consulting services, medical scribe certification programs and corporate partnerships to help practices drive innovation on the people side of improvement in healthcare quality and patient safety.”

Consulting services that ACMSS provides, and the associated categories they can help practices with, include:

The ACMSS certification program meets current and proposed CMS certification requirements toward use of electronic health records. ACMSS is independent from all scribe companies and organizations and works in compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to meet national goals and initiatives of MIPS, MACRA, and Meaningful Use of computerized provider order entry. Certified medical scribes also meet the “qualified people” standard in Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT).

“ACMSS is closely watching the progress of MACRA and we are excited for our future,” said Hagen. “ACMSS understands MACRA given the expertise and understanding coming through the two systems (public health/precision medicine) in respect of the patient, client, and healthcare practitioner viewpoints. ACMSS simplifies into secure systems design, the complete library of resources that is available through secure online access per paid membership. We believe eligible providers should move beyond the minimums for avoiding payment reductions. In doing so, they need to connect with ACMSS, plan strategically for how they are going to advance the regulations and national goals intended to provide better care and greater value for our nation’s patients.”

The American College of Medical Scribe Specialists offers several pathways for Certified Medical Scribe Specialists and a growing list of customized, one-on-one consulting solutions. Please contact ACMSS directly at info@theacmss.org or 657-888-2158 if you have any questions regarding the ACMSS program and consulting services.

For more details on the Quality Payment Program, click here (https://qpp.cms.gov).

ACMSS is proud to co-sponsor this partner-driven awareness week that focuses on bringing attention to the value, opportunities and challenges of healthcare information in the U.S. healthcare system. National Health IT Week (September 26 through 30), is sponsored by the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and they are joined by dozens of professional organizations, societies, and associations around the nation.

National Health IT Week helps drive awareness of the tools that are helping to build our patient-centric healthcare system. We particularly appreciate two areas of special focus for this year’s NHIT Week: innovation through precision medicine, and making communities healthy through interoperability across the spectrum of care to link public/population health and human services.”

ACMSS is dedicated to an evolving, innovative healthcare system that is focused on precision medicine, prevention, wellness and disease reversal. We provide the “people side” of the health IT equation to CEHRT, advancing the Certified Medical Scribe Specialist (CMSS) industry. ACMSS provides minimum Standardized MSCAT “CMSS” Certification Packages, assisting healthcare in real time innovation and development. We are available to help the industry, clinical providers and academic institutions with the latest research, implementations, education, and consulting. ACMSS is a proud non-profit partner with HIMSS.

To learn more about events and organizations associated with NHIT Week, go to http://www.healthitweek.org/
Please contact ACMSS directly at info@theacmss.org or 657-888-2158 if you have any questions regarding the ACMSS program and/or materials. Vendors and Sponsors welcome.

The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Medical Scribe Specialist Education Review Board (MSSRB) seeks feedback, with open comment period, up to September 30, 2016. The MSSRB is in the process of revising Appendix B Curriculum in the Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Medical Scribe Specialist (Standards). The Standards were initially adopted in 2015 by CAAHEP, MSSRB, and American College of Medical Scribe Specialists (ACMSS).

The Standards are the minimum standards of quality used in accrediting programs that prepare individuals to enter the Medical Scribe Specialist profession. Standards are the minimum requirements to which an accredited program is held accountable.

Certified Medical Scribe Specialists (CMSS) are making their debut into the country in record pace? Why? Together we are writing our nations stories, our most sacred document in getting people healthy and well. Certified Scribes into practice workflows are key to achieving national goals and creating sustainable wellness. Together, as a team and in unison, Physicians, Practice Administrators, and ancillary staff are working to provide valuable resources to your care team.

Practice Administrators and Physicians need to know that certified scribes are a necessity with CEHRT. CMS has noted the following:

“CMShasasked that each provider or practice retain a copy of the Specialist Crosswalk documentation, and certificate, in their files, just as they would retain documentation outlining their individual approach and method, as well as staffing protocols for audit purposes.”

Together, as a nation, we are working hard to maintain the highest level of integrity and distinction in maintaining electronic health record compilation and utilization. Key breakthroughs are had when documentation is aligned, utilized, and appropriate to research and outcomes.

With much pressure points sitting on the healthcare system, medical scribes are integral piece to the greater allied healthcare delivery system. Real time documentation at the point of care ~ a necessity US Healthcare Delivery Models in need of clinical efficiencies – a key attribute to quality problem-resolution solutions, patient care, increased patient safety, workforce stimulus investment/development, and career longevity. Team up with ACMSS, let’s unlock the potential together! Become a Certified Academic Partner with us, Certified Medical Scribe Specialist, or Corporate Sponsor: www.theacmss.org, 832.224.6911, or theacmss@gmail.com.

Happy National Medical Scribe Week, June 4-8, 2012! Thank you for your important contributions in the continuum of care and to our pre-medical clinicians for the important role served. Celebrate and recognize our future physicians, mid-level practitioners, and nursing staff working as a Medical Scribe today!

Our Executive Director, Kristin Hagen, will be presenting this week to AHDI-NEMA – “What’s in a Name? The Future of Certified Medical Scribes (CMS).” Register today for the event, Wednesday, May 23, at 12 EST. Make plans and join us for this informative and insightful look at CMS’ within our nation’s healthcare system today!

The MSCAT is a comprehensive certification exam which ensures a Certified Medical Scribe (CMS) possesses the skills and knowledge necessary to accurately and efficiently capture each patient encounter and support the overall delivery of healthcare in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Shrewsbury, MA (PRWEB) March 27, 2012

The ACMSS was established to advance the profession through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning and has long recognized the need to develop a certification examination that targets clinical information management professionals who are qualified by their training and experience to achieve industry-level certification.

“Medical scribe employment is clearly on the rise and healthcare employers need to know that a scribe, who is typically new to the industry, possesses the skills and knowledge necessary to accurately document the patient encounter and support the overall delivery of healthcare,” says Kristin Hagen, Executive Director of the ACMSS. “Too many companies today are marketing themselves as providing ‘certified’ scribes when up and until this point there has not been an independent organization to substantiate that claim. This is not well suited for our profession or the individuals in our hospitals and medical facilities today.”

As the nation’s leading workforce development company focused on the healthcare documentation industry, the American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group has been helping individuals become gainfully employed in the areas of medical transcription, medical billing, medical coding and medical scribing. “Helping our graduates achieve industry certification and gain employment is our primary focus,” says Peter Reilly, President and CEO of the American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group. “By instituting the ACMSS’s national certification exam as the launching pad for graduates of our online Medical Scribe Training program, all of our training programs now lead to industry certification by their respective national associations.”

“We are thrilled that AHDPG has taken this step to ensure the graduates from their program meet our stringent requirements,” says Kristin Hagen. “Employers seeking well trained and qualified medical scribes can have confidence that a graduate from AHDPG will be well prepared when they walk in the door.”

About AHDPG
The American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group (AHDPG) is a leading training and workforce development company focused on the healthcare documentation industry. AHDPG was the first employer owned training organization approved by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP), a joint committee established by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). AHDPG provides online training in the areas of medical transcription editing, medical billing and coding and clinical information management (medical scribe) delivered in a supportive environment. Students graduate ready to take their respective certification exams and gain employment in the healthcare documentation industry. For more information about AHDPG, please visit our website at http://www.ahdpg.com.

About ACMSS
The American College of Clinical Information Managers (ACMSS) is the nation’s preeminent professional society representing Certified Medical Scribes (CMS). The ACMSS is committed to advancing the CMS profession through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. ACMSS certification and membership is sought and earned by Certified Medical Scribes on a voluntary basis. To learn more about the ACMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at http://www.theacmss.org.

The American College of Clinical Information Managers (ACMSS) has Officially Launched the Clinical Information Manager Certification and Aptitude Test (MSCAT) and HIPAA Scribe Certification Program

Caldwell, NJ, February 23, 2012

The American College of Clinical Information Managers (ACMSS) announced today the launch of the nation’s first certification exams for the clinical information management professional.

The ACMSS was established to advance the profession through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning and has long recognized the need to develop a certification examination that targets clinical information management professionals who are qualified by their training and experience to achieve industry-level certification.

“Medical scribe employment is clearly on the rise and employers require a minimum level of documentation performance and knowledge of the clinical boundaries of scribe utilization. Given the rapid growth of the medical scribe industry, a standardized approach to quality and accurate point-of-care documentation will enable physician workflow efficiencies. These operational improvements as a result of medical scribe use allow the physician to examine additional patients, spend more time at the patient’s bedside, and circumvent the physical barrier imposed by Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) in the physician-patient interview. We believe medical scribe use is cost effective and leads to additional patient safety. In a field as highly regulated as the healthcare industry, it is only a matter of time before medical scribes will need to demonstrate their credentials,” says Kristin Hagen, Executive Director of the ACMSS.

The MSCAT is a comprehensive certification exam that verifies the medical scribe possesses the skill set of a credentialed Certified Medical Scribe (CMS). CMS’ must demonstrate fluency in medical terminology, visit level assignment, medicolegal risk mitigation, accountability measures, the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), and in navigating the Electronic Health Record (EHR).

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) course and exam ensures the medical scribe documents the physician-patient medical encounter in a federally compliant manner with respect to the Privacy Rule.

“Helping our graduates achieve industry certification and gain employment is our primary focus,” says Peter Reilly, President and CEO of the American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group. “Partnering with the ACMSS in the development and delivery of these certification exams ensures our medical scribe training program will culminate in industry certification for our graduates just like our medical transcription editing training and medical billing and coding training programs currently do.”

To learn more about the MSCAT certification exam and other ACMSS exams, please visit the MSCAT page.

About ACMSS
The American College of Clinical Information Managers (ACMSS) is the nation’s preeminent professional society representing Certified Medical Scribes (CMS) professionals. The ACMSS is committed to advancing the CMS profession through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning. ACMSS certification and membership is sought and earned by Clinical Information Managers on a voluntary basis. To learn more about the ACMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at www.theacmss.org.

About AHDPG
The American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group (AHDPG) is a leading training and workforce development company focused on the healthcare documentation industry. AHDPG was the first employer owned training organization approved by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP), a joint committee established by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). AHDPG provides online training in the areas of medical transcription editing, medical billing and coding and clinical information management (medical scribe) delivered in a supportive environment. Students graduate ready to take their respective certification exams and gain employment in the healthcare documentation industry. For more information about AHDPG, please visit our website at www.ahdpg.com.

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Welcome to the American College of Medical Scribe Specialists, a non-profit 501(c)6. Since 2010 ACMSS has represented the medical scribe industry through certification, advocacy and employment. The ACMSS certifies medical scribes who meet its education, professional standing, and examination standards.

We are a membership association, offering both academic-to-certification and employment-to-certification conduit.